Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-15
FROM AUSTIN.
Record OF the Week of the Beings
Of the Lawmakers OF
the State.
Bills Passed and Bills Postponed -WoES
Good, Bad and Indffferent-Eote,
Gossip and Chatter.

UOSSAp anu ShdtlcT'
! Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, April Ex-Governor
Ross to-day vetoed the bill postponina
tax sales. The following is the text OF
the Governors veto OF the bill postpOning
the forced collection of taxes until Sep
! TENDER.
Proclamation by the Governor of Texas
! Whereas, the regular session of the
Twentieth Legislature, which assembled
in the city of Austin, the 18th day OF
January, A. D. 1887, and adjourned on
the Atm day of April, A. D.! 1887, passed g
Senate substitute for House bill No. $50,
an act to postpone the sale of real
and personal property OF resident owners
! for taxes assessed for the year A. D. 1886
until the first Monday in September, a.
| D. 1887, and
Whereas, the said act was presented to
me for my approval on the said 4th day
| Of April, the same day Of the adjourn
ment of the Legislature which precluded
my return Of the same to the House in
which it originated with my objections
| thereto; and
| Whereas, after materially considering
| said act am compelled from sense of
public duty 20 withhold my approval of
the same, and having this day filed in
the office of the Secretary of State as re-
quired by the consti, ution said act with
my objections thereto, now
Therefore, 1, Lawrence Sullivan Ross,
Governor Of Texas, do hereby announce,
publish and proclaim my disapproyal of
said act for the reasons aforesaid, and
set forth as follows, tO-wit:
Hon. John VI. Moore, Secretary of State:
SIR: l return herewith and file in your
office the Senate substitute to House bill
No. 385, which was presented to me for
approval at 20 minutes after II
O'Clock q. m. on the 4th day
of April, 1887, with the following
objections, to wit:
J. The provisions of this bill are, to my
mind, clearly yiolatiye OF the provision Of
the federal constitution, wAich guaran-
tees TO the citizens OF each state all the
privileges and immunities as the citizens
IN the several states, the main object of
which section, as construed by some of
the courts, wide Desty Federal Consti-
tuition, pages 234 and 1866, was to pre-
vent each state from discrimination in
favor of its own people or
against those Of any other
state, and from denying the citizens
of other states all immunitieS and priyi-
leges by its own most favored class. This
bill provides that this act shall only
extend and apply to citizens residing In
Texas, and not to nOn-residents of the
state Of Texas having property in the
state on which tax is due, thus exempt
ing from forced sale of taxes for a
specific period of tine the property of
our own citizens, and leaving the tax
gatherer with unrestricted power to seize
and sell the property of nOn-residents for
the taxes assessed theron. 1t is true
that these nOn-residents may not be
suffering from the calamities from which
some of our own people are labOring and
need no favor Of government in alleviat-
ing their distress. While some of our
own citizens in special localities will be
greatly embarrassed by an enforced col
lection of taxes at this time, this state Of
facts constitutes g strong appeal TO our
sense of humanity as citizens, and it is a
matter of extreme regret with me that
this constitutional difficulty is enCoun-
tered in the examination of this measure
designed for this relief. But as our federal
constitution is rule for our guidance
as well as our state organic law, enter
talhing the view that | do as to It's con-
struction, | would be constrained to
withhold my approval Of this bill on this
ground alone without regard to other OBJ
jections as to the impolicy of the
measure.
2. 1t is known, however, that the effect
of this BILL if it became a law, would
prove disastrous to the financial opera
tions of the government and would prove
seriously prejudicial to the public inter
ests. Immediately upon It's taking effect
the collection of taxes upon property
would naturally cease. The balance now
at the Treasury available for current ap-
preparations and expenditures will moi
suffice for these purposes for a longer pc
Rod than three months at furthesU, and
under the operations of this bill it could
hardly be anticipated that the ordinary
current of revenue would begin to flow
again into the Treasury before about the
1st of November next, as advertisement
and sales could not be perfected until
about the lst of October and collectors
under the present laws would have
until November l to make settle
ments. Ia the meantime, in addition
to the enumerated current expendi-
lures, the July interest on the public
debt, the pension claims due veterans
and the extraordinary appropriations for
the purchase of land for the reformatory at
Rusk penitentlary ana for an asylum for
cOlOred people, would have created q
deficiency of more than $4,000 precipi-
tatlng upon the market volume of state
claims, which would soon cause depre-
citation in their value, and thus subject
the state to increased loss and expense in
her purchases and the citizen creditors TO
an equally serious loss upon their claims
and demands. The state is now due
the teachers over 5000, 200 in registered
warrants and $4,000 in coupons not reg
istered. Besides this, the interest on
county bonds is DOW falling due aud the
counties would be forced into default Of
payment. Out of ninety-seven collectors |
from whom l have received answers to |
inquiries Of the subject seventy-one de !
clared that the extension would be I'M
wise and would chiefly benefit those who /
are able but unwilling to pay.
In view Of these facts, while |
I have been disposed and have
officially urged the extension
of proper relief to our suffering /
fellow citizens in the stricken districts, /
am constrained By q sense Of duty to the |
whole people to withhold my approval of |
this measure even though DESTROYS of ex
teDd,n aid to those in dis ress and who
might nave been relieved by special aids
similar to those Obtained by citizens of
Calhoun and Jefferson counties in accord
ance with the constitution, aud without
serious deteriment to the public interest